By value, only three of the twelve categories tracked by the index sold more: Services (+7.3%), Workwear & Safetywear (+4.5%) and Miscellaneous (+2.3%). Of the two largest categories, Heavy Building Materials fell -2.6%, while Timber & Joinery Products was flat (0.0%). Renewables & Water Saving (-3.8%) was the weakest category.
June’s 2026 like-for-like value sales were -2.5% lower than June the year before. June’s like-for-like volume sales fell -10.0% while prices increased +8.4%. With one extra trading day in June 2026 compared to June 2025, unadjusted total value sales were +2.2% higher year-on-year. Unadjusted volume sales were -5.7% lower and prices were up +8.4%.
Mike Rigby, MD of MRA Research who produce this report, says: “Overall construction output is anaemic, as the latest ONS data reveals a +0.3% increase in Q2 output compared to Q1 but -2.0% lower than Q2 2025. Five out of the nine construction sectors grew in Q2 2026 with infrastructure new work, the strongest up, +1.9%.
“Despite monthly construction output falling -0.1% in June, following a decrease of -0.8% in May, and a decrease of -0.1% in April, the overall level of output in Q2 was higher than in Q1, the ONS says, because the fall in April 2026 followed a particularly strong March.
“Housebuilding continues to meet significant headwinds. The latest National House Building Council (NHBC) numbers put Q2 new home registrations down -4.0% year-on-year, with cost pressures and geopolitical uncertainty affecting house builders’ performance.”
Got a story? Email [email protected]
